As salvage attempts to free the grounded Ever Forward containership continue to fail, salvors decided they need to lighten the ship’s load before their next attempt.
The salvage team came to the conclusion that they did not have to power to overcome the ground force of the containership while it was fully loaded. Cranes are now unloading several hundred of the nearly 5,000 containers onboard before another attempt is made to refloat the ship.
In addition to lightening the load, they will also continue to dredge around the ship. The US Coast Guard said the operation could take up to two weeks, depending on weather.
The Ever Forward was leaving Baltimore and heading south towards Norfolk, Virginia when it went aground in the Chesapeake Bay on March 13.
Since then, salvors have attempted to refloat the ship twice, and they also tried dredging around the ship in order to free it.
Despite being stuck in the mud for almost a month, other ships have still been able to use the shipping channel. During the operation, the shipping channel will be open for one-way traffic. A 500-yard safety zone around the Ever Forward is also in effect.
